If you think this developer’s primary focus is land-based gaming, think again. Inspired has a portfolio of excellent online slots that can be played across all devices and for real money at online casinos or for free here at Slots Temple. Click here to read more.
The Inspired Gaming story
When Luke Alvarez took a punt on creating Inspired Gaming back in 2001, UK tech industries were still struggling in the aftermath of the dotcom bubble. Alvarez spotted a gap in the market for digital gaming and set up an office in Regent Street, London to create games for the mobile market. This was one of the first companies to see the potential for mobile gaming.
Where Inspired hit the sweet spot was with its range of virtual sports and lottery products, which attracted the attention of private equity fund Vitruvian Partners. In 2010, Inspired was refinanced by Vitruvian and given the support it needed to focus on target audiences beyond Britain and Europe.
In 2015, Inspired signed a deal with the Chinese government to provide the national lottery in the highly lucrative Macau market, which is seven times bigger than Vegas, plus virtual horse racing and football. Inspired now sells its market-leading technology into markets as diverse as the Philippines, the US, South America and Asia.
Inspired continues to be based in London and develops all its Slots Software and technology in Britain. In 2016, it was acquired by Hydra and became officially known as Inspired Entertainment to reflect the breadth of the content it supplies across all platforms.
What Inspired has to offer
From online slots to the Virtual Grand National, Inspired has its finger in plenty of digital pies, all thanks to the visionary mobile-first approach of its founder.
Inspired offers land-based and virtual servers that bring high-quality content to cabinets and laptops alike. Its Open VLT platform is one of the most successful centrally managed solutions worldwide, while the Sabre Synchro offers a range of casino content on an HD touchscreen. The Virgo Remote Gaming Server fully integrates with the Open SBG Core platform to create a true omnichannel player experience across mobile and online platforms.
Inspired’s virtual sports are incredibly lifelike and realistic, with its superb Virtual Grand National now an accepted part of the coverage of this event. Its award-winning visual effects team has turned its hand to boxing in partnership with Mike Tyson and to basketball, creating incredible visual effects with benchmark graphics and animations using motion capture technology.
Inspired also creates online slots and table games, including new twists on casino games such as 100/1 Roulette and Mike Tyson Blackjack. Its portfolio of online games is always growing and includes some interesting twists on well-worn themes and some unique slots; for example, Eggspendables is based on The Expendables movie franchise. If you fancy something a little different, the Rush Go and Rush Live collection of virtual sports games include cricket, darts and greyhound racing alongside football, cycling and tennis. Visuals and commentary are all extremely well done, developing a truly immersive experience and a different way to play.
Licensing and partnerships
Inspired Gaming says that its products are flexible enough to meet the regulatory demands of any gaming market. The company is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Italian L'amministazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato (AAMS), which reflects its dominance in the Italian virtual sports market; in fact, it currently supplies 90 per cent of the content. Inspired is also licensed in Alderney by the Gaming Control Commission, an independent body that regulates gambling activity to the strictest standards.
Inspired has also won the endorsement of its peers; in fact, its excellence was recognised in 2012 when it was awarded Best Betting Product at the Totally Gaming Awards. Inspired is also listed on the London Stock Exchange and has regularly appeared in the list of 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain.
Look and feel of Inspired slots
Inspired definitely knows how to produce high-quality slots. All Inspired slots are created in HD and designed for mobile-first play, so they look great across all your devices. Feature-rich and designed to support a range of languages, these slots share a clean and sharp design that looks great on any screen.
Inspired favors the 5x4 grid with 20 paylines, so there is a consistency to the look and layout of its portfolio of games. They are also designed to play well in portrait or landscape mode thanks to Inspired’s forward-facing mobile-first design policy. Another feature of the SBG technology Inspired has developed is that different casinos can set their own variables, so you could find yourself playing the same Inspired slot at two casinos with a different RTP and maximum stake at each.
Most Slot games in Inspired’s library feature bright, crisp colors that really pop and cartoon-style graphics that create a real buzz around any given theme. While various iterations of wilds, free spins and breakout bonus games are common to all five-reel slots, Inspired has a way of putting them together so that the gameplay feels fresh and new.
Inspired slots are well worth playing, with some innovative bonus action and well-integrated visuals and sounds. This is hardly surprising from a company that produces virtual sports to such a high standard. The user interface is a particular feature in these games and is clearly designed with the mobile market in mind; for example, there is an option to play left-handed and a game history reviewing your previous wins.
Popular slots from Inspired
Look through the catalogue of slots offered by Inspired and you will notice more than a few generic titles, including Centurion, Rise of Anubis, and Goddess of the Amazon. Add in Viking-themed slots and jewel games and you have pretty much ticked every box available, but what makes Inspired slots worthy of your attention?
Look a little deeper at a title such as Centurion and you will uncover Inspired’s sense of humor at work; in fact, several of its slots have punning titles such as Eggspendables and Leaders of the Free Spins World. The developers then build on this to produce games with a real difference. Centurion is subtitled Maximus Winnus and there is plenty of action to be had with its eight bonus games and stunning animations. This is a real showcase for Inspired’s ambitions when it comes to creating ultra-playable slots.
Da Winci is another punning title with good potential and innovative gameplay. This uses the Fortune Bet mechanism that creates double-height bonus icons for more profitability and a series of inventive bonuses themed around Da Winci’s artworks and inventions. It is a clever twist on a well-worn theme and a fine example of the way that Inspired slots integrate every element - from sound and visuals to bonuses - into a cohesive and engaging whole.
In fact, interesting bonus gameplay is the area in which Inspired slots really have the edge over a lot of the competition. Have you every fancied competing in an ostrich race? If so, try Jungle Bucks. Eggspendables features three levels of bonus play promoting you from sergeant to general, while you will have to complete four bonus levels in Temple of Treasure to unlock the game’s biggest prizes.
Goddess of the Amazon may tread a well-worn path with its theme; however, the 100,000-credit top prize makes this slot well worth seeking out. There are also two progressive jackpots and the Freespins+ feature, which is common to quite a few Inspired slots including Diamond Goddess. This makes triggering extra free spins during a free spins bonus much easier, creating plenty of potential in what are often high volatility slots.
Strategies for winning with Inspired slots
With features such as Freespins+ and Fortune Bets, there is plenty of potential in Inspired slots. Powered by random number generators that are designed to keep each game fair, there is no way to predict when a winning combination of symbols will fall; however, there is plenty of volatility on offer from Inspired slots, which dictates how frequently and how much a given game will pay out.
Choosing a high volatility slot such as Super Hot Fruits for larger wins that land less frequently; alternatively, play at low/medium volatility with a slot such as Centurion. The wins will keep coming; however, they will not be the major amounts you will find in a game such as Goddess of the Amazon when you trigger the six-figure Gold Jackpot.
Another point to remember with Inspired slots is that the variables can be governed by the casino, so you may find that you need to shop around to find the RTP and maximum stake that suit your playing style. It is also worth looking for the best bonuses and take advantage of playing your slots with some low-wager, high-maximum free spins and bonus action.
Inspired on mobile
You have to admire Luke Alvarez’s vision. Way back in 2001 when he made the decision to develop mobile-focused games, playing was by subscription only using text-based or SMS services. How times have changed and Alvarez’s decision has been totally justified with the explosion in mobile-first gaming and instant play slots and casinos.
It is obvious that Inspired games are designed to deliver a flawless mobile play experience and they duly come up with the goods. Turbo mode works without any loss of definition and is the ideal feature when you are sneaking a few spins on the go. Some slots are even available to play left-handed, which is a smart feature when you are swiping mobile and tablet screens.
Inspired uses HTML5 technology to build mobile slots that do not require the player to download a file. Just open a mobile browser and your slot will load and be ready to play in seconds with no hanging around waiting for a download to finish. HTML5 slots also conserve 15 per cent more battery life and are optimised for any screen or operating system. Whether you are playing on an iPad or an Android phone, you will enjoy the same seamless gameplay.
Where to play Inspired slots
Not surprisingly, Inspired slots have been taken up by a number of casinos. You can play its virtual sports and table games at highly-rated sites such as Bet Victor; in fact, the casinos that feature slots by this London-based company are some of the best in the business, including Ladbrokes and Paddy Power. These top-tier casinos also offer some of the best welcome bonuses out there for a truly five-star experience.
Why you should play Inspired Slots
There is no doubt that Inspired has created some excellent slots to stand beside its industry-leading virtual gaming products. It may not be the first name that springs to mind when you think of slots developers, but it should be high on the list for any player who likes an unbeatable combination of graphics and gameplay.
We would rate Inspired alongside innovative developers such as Yggdrasil in the way it creates interesting storylines from even the most generic themes.